Snow Day!
by sueKay-04
Summary: Some festive fluff with a plot. SJ ship.
1. Chapter 1

Hi there!

Well...this is my first fic in FOREVER! I've just finished my first semester at University, and the break in the work seems to have inspired me again!

BTW - I now have a proper stargate site! www (dot) stargate-intel (dot) net. The link's also in my profile.

This is a Sam/Jack fic, and it's festive fluff with a plot!

This story is dedicated to the GateWorld S/J Shipper, the Intelites and the GW Ship Ship Hooray Special Ops team!

* * *

**Snow Day **

**Chapter One - Christmas Eve**

"C'mon…it must be around her somewhere." Sam muttered to herself as her hire car chugged painstakingly slowly up the snow-covered, heavily wooded dirt road of the mountain. Why was she doing this? She asked herself. But of course she knew the answer. General O'Neill was up here on his own. Lonely. Boy had he made that clear. He'd been phoning Cassie and herself constantly, moaning about being bored out of his mind. Sam had felt sorry for him, and had cancelled Christmas with Mark, Alice, Cassie and the kids in order to pay him a surprise visit.

Now she was beginning to regret it. Her hire was having difficulty in the thick Minnesotan snow, and she had no idea how far she had to go. Good thing it was still early in the day, she noted, looking up to the top of the trees and to the bright snowy sky.

Sam felt the tires skid on the road and pushed the pedal in order to keep her momentum going. The car whined in protest, but eventually did as she'd asked, edging on up the steep incline.

Why couldn't Jack have bought a cabin at the bottom of the mountain? Why on earth did he buy one quarter of the way up!

"Because he's Jack O'Neill…that's why…buying a cabin on the flat would be too simple…wouldn't it."

Sam realised with horror that she was talking to herself. And in her momentary lapse, took pressure off of the accelerator. The car stopped.

And it didn't start again.

"Crap."

Sam leant back in the seat, thinking that the vehicle had stalled, and after a moment tried again.

Nothing.

Sam hunched her shoulders incredulously, before flinging her weight forward onto the steering wheel, groaning, "For crying out loud!"

* * *

Jack rubbed his hands together before pulling his hat down to cover his ears, now blue with cold. He glared at his little lake, frozen over entirely, and growled as the golden glint of his one solitary fish was glimpsed, swimming happily under the ice.

"Just you want 'til spring." He made the fish an ultimatum.

Jack had opted for a quiet Christmas. Alone. No Pentagon officials like last year (talk about DULL!), no SG1, no family, no nobody. And that was what he wanted. But he'd realised that if he'd went into his little recluse willingly, that his friends would think something was wrong, so he'd resorted to moaning down the phone to Cassie or Sam…or Daniel or Teal'c…or even Walter on occasion.

The trick had worked. He Hadn't received one phone call, and he'd had no unexpected visitors.

If only that darn fish was on top of the ice!

Jack crouched down on the little jetty at the side of the pond, and leaned carefully forward, prodding at the ice with a stick.

Solid.

"Oy…I'll never catch this fish."

As if listening, the fish once again skimmed the underside of the ice, before retreating into the inky crystalline depths.

Jack watched it, before leaning back and sitting down. For a moment he revelled in the alpine silence. Nothing stirred, nothing sounded. The air was full of a deep, reassuring calm. Jack inhaled deeply, opening his eyes as he exhaled to watch the cloud of vapour that appeared. He hadn't done that since he was a kid, and it brought back fond memories of childhood Christmases at the cabin, running around in the snow with his brothers, sisters and cousins.

Silence was golden, or maybe white in this case. And it brought back those most magical and long forgotten memories with complete clarity. That was precisely why he wanted this Christmas alone.

The silence suddenly came to a halt, as Jack heard the sound of a heavy vehicle coming up the road behind him. Not wanting to leave his magical retreat, Jack hesitated in turning around, knowing that whoever was there would be wanting to see him.

He heard to van doors slam shut, and some murmured chat, before he heard a familiar voice.

"Thank you so much. I didn't expect you to be so quick."

Jack got up and turned around. When he finally looked back towards the cabin and the road, he saw a pick-up truck with a small car from the local hire company strapped to it's back. Sam stood talking to the driver, wrapped up in a long black coat with fur trim. Her cheeks were a rose winter red, and Jack momentarily forgot his dismay of being 'discovered' as he took in her fresh beauty. Sam smiled and waved goodbye to the driver, before he climbed back in his truck and drove off. She hesitated for the slighted second before turning round to see Jack.

"Uhm…Surprise!…Sir."

* * *

As always, reviews are more than welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey all!

MERRY SHIPMAS TO THE GW SHIP FAMILY!

Thanks to Lonelystar, VidZ, Somnium, CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, Kiwi4624, Nikki, froggy0319, CrystalClear444, Sci Fi Fan Gillian, Su Freund - I promise to update soon, LOL4JACK, SG-Fan and TerrorizerandZooky for the reviews :D

* * *

Snow Day!

Chapter 2 - A Warm Night

"Just ehm…" Jack pondered, looking at Sam's rather bulky suitcase. "Ehm…just leave it there for now would you?"

"No no Sir…it's okay…I'll take it along to my room just now."

Why couldn't Sam be as efficient in the real world as she was when she was off world? Why the massive suitcase!

Jack could never understand women. Particularly not military women, and especially not this woman!

"Your room's going to be a problem Carter."

* * *

Sam stood outside the spare room where she normally slept during her visits. The door was locked, and Jack handed her the key.

"Open it." he sighed.

The room was simple really. Not cluttered like the rest of the cabin. It contained two sets of bunk beds, reserved for guests, or some of the General's family. Not that she'd ever met any of them!

She turned the rusty object clockwise, and the equally rusty hinges of the door squeaked in protest as it swung open. The room was filled with bright, natural light, and Sam looked up at the gaping hole in the roof, a treetop sticking through the gap.

"Got up here two days ago and it was like this."

"It's okay sir…I can sleep on the couch."

"No you can't!" Jack whined. "I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I let you do that…You take the bed."

"Dr. Lam says that you have to have a good back support sir…_I'll _take the couch."

"Nope…you are taking the bed…I'll sleep on the couch for tonight, and well head down into the village tomorrow and pick up a camp bed for you."

Sam couldn't argue with his logic for once, but still insisted on sleeping on the couch.

"Sir…_I_ was the one that came up here unannounced. I am going to sleep on the couch whether you like it or not."

Jack's face said it all. He'd stopped listening. Sam watched as his eyes surveyed the damage.

"Sir."

"…uh…What?"

"Never mind."

* * *

They sat in front of the crackling fireplace in silence. Jack was acting…different. To say the least. His wit and whining both seemed to have taken a festive vacation. Instead Jack was almost mute, and when he spoke his voice was level and calm.

"What do you want for dinner?" He proffered out of the blue.

"Uhm…what's there?"

"Some cold pizza…Pepperoni…uhm…some frozen…stuff…and the turkey…just a small one though."

"Anything else? I forgot to bring food." Sam said sheepishly.

"That's about it…unless you're wanting a liquid dinner?"

Sam snorted in amusement. "What about the turkey? I'll cook it and we can pick another one up tomorrow…I'm sure Dean can give us one."

"Dean at the shop? Oh he'd do _anything _for you Colonel, and let us men starve!" Jack gently jibed, knowing of the shop owner's crush on Sam.

Sam looked down at the ground, smiling and blushing.

"Turkey it is then…you can use that charm of yours on that boy tomorrow…after all it'll be Christmas day and he'll be nice and happy"

"Does he open tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure…why not? If he's not…I know where he lives!"

* * *

Sam wrapped her arms around herself in the cold of the night, hugging the fleece blanket the General had given her.

She'd got her wish, and was now freezing her butt off on the couch. She'd been tempted to start the fire, but Jack had warned her that it would need to be constantly watched in fear of sparks igniting the shag pile rug.

Stupid men. Stupid stubbornness. He'd wanted to keep a 'traditional' feel in the cabin, so there was no electric fire.

But he had a TV. And a radio…DVD player…Desktop computer and even a mini fridge in his room.

"Stupid stupid stupid." Sam caught herself growling under her breath.

The night was bitter. Ten below the General had said, joking about how mild this winter was. While she'd suffered much worse, she'd always been suitably wrapped up. 'Like a yeti' Daniel had joked one on mission. Even in Antarctica they'd had those flimsy standard issue blankets. They'd held a surprising amount of heat, and what Sam wouldn't give for one right now.

Sam suddenly heard some creaking come from the direction of Jack's room and squeezed her eyes shut, feigning sleep as his door opened. Jack crept into the room, trying in earnest (despite the squeaky floorboards) to keep quiet, as he made his way across the room towards the kitchen. Sam had no idea what he was doing, and opened an eye briefly.

He had pulled a book out of one of the kitchen drawers, and in the gloaming, she could see a hint of a smile.

Satisfied with what he'd found, he shut the door and crept back towards his room. As he passed Sam however, a gust of wind broke into the room through one of the window frames. Sam couldn't help it and shivered violently.

She could hear Jack's frown through his sigh.

"Sam?"

She gave up, opening her eyes.

"Sir?"

"C'mon." He said, pointing to his room. "Don't take the fleece…I've got plenty of sheets."

Sam merely nodded, and rose from the couch, shivering as her back felt the cold. She let the fleece be, and followed Jack through. It was only after Jack had shut his bedroom door that Sam realised her stomach was churning, and that her heart was beating rapidly.

She was going to be in his bed.

Holy Hannah…his bed…_Jack's_ bed.

If she didn't faint with 'fangirlitis' first!

"Sir? You sure about this?"

"You're freezing…it's a king bed…I don't see a prob…well…um…we'll talk about that in the morning."

"Yes sir."

Sam hesitated before getting in, watching Jack as he got under the covers too. She purposefully stayed close to the edge of the bed, not wanting to touch Jack. But he had other ideas, as his arm suddenly found it's way round her waist, pulling her closer to him. Before she knew it, her back was against his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder. She tensed up, a million panicked thoughts flooding her mind.

_Keep calm Sam…it's just because of the cold…keep calm_

After a few minutes, her body obeyed her mind's demands and Jack held her closer as her body relaxed. Before she knew it, she was asleep and content in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there!

Very short chapter for you...just to basically set upthe rest of the story...you're gonna have a wait for the ship though! hee hee

Thanks to CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, LOL4JACK, Vid Z - It's after Threads, TerrorizerandZooky, Nikki, scjon, AriaNaerwyn, froggy0319, kasluvsg1, Kiwi4624, TLWROX, CrystalClear444, claire svu fan, Pickles12, Su Freund, Ilovesg1, Lonelystar, Natters, eb2504, Seanait,Darth Tater, Shippy Angel, sparkles make me smile, Sci Fi Fan Gillian andMARLO

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and aHappy Hogmanay (New Year)!

* * *

Sam's eyes fluttered open early in the morning. The light was still dim, painting everything in shades of grey. She tilted her head up, only them remembering whom she was cuddled up against. 

Jack was underneath her, arms around her. Sam's head had been resting on the middle of his chest.

Sam couldn't help it. She had the biggest, girliest grin on her face that she'd for a long time!

Jack roused, moving suddenly, moaning in protest at his sleep being interrupted.

"cryin out loud." he said, barely audibly, before his eyes blinked open.

"Carter." He said, not in question or in exclamation, but just loud enough to show his confusion.

"I ehm…uh."

"Relax sir…I was cold last night…remember?"

"Oh yeah yeah." Jack coughed in discomfort.

"I'd…better move…sir."

"Yeah I was just thinkin' that actually."

Sam grinned sheepishly, a blush engulfing her cheeks. She took a step back and looked back up at Jack in confusion.

"Sir…"

"What?"

Sam looked down at her feet, before looking back up at Jack.

"Uh…why's there an inch of water on the floor?"

* * *

"I don't believe this…I do not FATHOM this! I mean…in all the years I've been coming up here!" 

Jack was walking round the cabin in endless circles, plastic bags tied haphazardly around his feet, as he tried to pick up as many things as possible from the floor that were salvageable. All the while he was looking incredulously out of the windows.

It had been snowing last night.

That was putting it mildly.

They were well and truly snowed in.

"I mean…at least two feet of snow! Overnight! On top of the half foot we've already had!"

"How long will it be before someone tries to get up here?"

Jack chuckled.

"Try spring…When there's so much snow about this place is impossible to get to…we're stuck here."

"We should call the SGC…get the Prometheus to beam us out."

Jack gritted his teeth.

"I'm afraid we can't do that…phone mast came down with that tree."

There had been a massive fall of snow during the night. And due to the hole in the roof, a lot of snow had gotten into the cabin, before melting and flooding the cabin. Jack had had to turn off the electricity and the gas in order to make sure there was no fire risk.

"You also know that there aint no way in hell we'll be able to get a camp bed."

"The thought had occurred to me sir."

Jack continued his fretful pacing.

"It isn't as bad as Antarctica sir."

"You might have a point there Carter."

Sam brought her knees up to her chin. She was sitting on the couch, fleece blanket wrapped around her.

"So what do we do now?" She asked

"I uh…get the camp stove and the meth's out…and a couple of tins…"

Sam nodded her head.

"…play charades…"

"…Sir."

"Paper, Stone, Scissors?"

"Sir."

"Uh hu?"

Sam smiled slightly, looking at the watery floor.

"You realise this is our first Christmas together."

"Together…Carter we're friends that a-…Oh yeah…you meant _literally_."

Sam laughed. "Yes sir!"

"Well…Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!"


	4. Chapter 4

Hey there!

Sorry updates have been so long in coming...I'd lost my writing Mojo again!

Thanks to Virago500, froggy0319, TerrorizerandZooky, CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, lonelystar, Shippy Angel, Ilovesg1, intergalactic smart-ass, LOL4JACK, Mag, Nikki, eb2504, MajorSam, Seanait, claire svu fan, Sci Fi Fan Gillian, Mhairi, TLWROX, and StarrGazer for the reviews!

There's not a lot of action in this chapter...just talking...but I promise you there will be action anf more fun to come soon :D

* * *

Again Sam and Jack sat silent in the living room of the cabin. They'd managed a reasonable cleanup, chucking buckets of water out of the windows and covering the floor with towels. The both still had plastic bags tied round their feet when they had to move from the couch. But they hadn't done that much, instead they just sat together, enjoying each others' presence.

"I'm hungry." Sam said.

"It's 2pm…you can't be starving already…we ate late last night."

"I know…but I'm a complete pig with food."

Jack shifted his lower jaw, something he did when thinking things through.

"Well…I've got some veg' in the cupboards that I just bought early yesterday, and I think there's a bottle of Soy Sauce somewhere…You like stir fry?"

"Yes sir…I'll make it."

"Ah! No you won't…you're my guest…I'll cook."

"You sure sir?"

"Yup…you sort out a place to eat and all that jazz and I'll get this cooked…It aint exactly Christmas Turkey with all the trimmings, but it'll do!"

Twenty minutes later, Sam and Jack say in the living room with their stir-frys and wine. It had turned out surprisingly good, considering it had been cooked on a camping stove, and they'd both dug in. Again, conversation was at a minimum.

Sam looked up at Jack every so often. His mind was elsewhere, that much was painfully obvious. But was something wrong, or was she seeing another side to him.

She suddenly realised that Jack was looking straight at her. He'd caught her looking at him.

"Something in my nose Carter?"

"I uh…sorry Sir…my mind was just wandering…sorry."

Jack went back to picking at his baby corn, but Sam's instincts had to be put to rest.

"Is there something wrong sir?"

"Why would there be?"

"You just seem a little out of it…sir."

Jack gave her the eyebrow.

"What I mean is…you were neither happy nor sad to see me…you didn't lose your temper when the cabin got flooded…we're snowed in and your perfectly content to sit here…and you've been very quiet too."

Jack let out a long sigh.

"It's hard to explain Carter and I'd rather not go there…has to do with the concept of personal space…If you must know…I wanted to spend this Christmas alone…so I could do some thinking and take a little stroll down memory lane…find my centre…get away from the stress of the Pentagon and be me for a change."

"…oh."

"Yeah."

"I uh…I shouldn't have come up here…should I?"

"That's a pretty silly question from someone who's managed to double the world's IQ in her short life…I set out to be alone up here….but now that you're stuck here with me…maybe it's a good thing…you'll save me the trouble of talking to myself at least!"

"There is that sir."

The silence stretched once more, and Sam shifted slightly, realising how cold her feet seemed to be. Jack finished eating, and motioned towards Sam's near empty plate.

"You finished?"

"Yes sir…thank you."

Jack smiled, lifting up her plate and walked over to the kitchen, dumping the plates in the sink. He gestured towards her empty glass.

"I'll take a beer please sir."

"Yahsureyoubetcha!"

Sam looked back towards Jack's empty seat. He'd told what was wrong, but had completely evaded the question too. So he came up here for personal reflection and solace. But on and for what? There was something else going on, and Sam intended to find out.

Her theorising on Jack's behaviour was interrupted by a bottle of beer being waved in front of her face.

"Thanks."

"It's surprisingly chilly considering the fridge is switched off!" Jack chuckled with sarcasm.

Sam giggled back.

"So what did you come up here to contemplate?" She asked nonchalantly, knowing that Jack would probably not rise to the bait.

"I uh…just stuff I guess…lots of different stuff."

"I don't buy it…you've been so strange up here…as if you've had an epiphany or come to terms with something."

"You're worried because you think I'm at peace?" Jack scrunched his forehead.

"Hoe much have you had to drink!" He smiled.

"Seriously Jack…c'mon…I _am _worried you know."

Jack put his beer down with slightly less force than normal. The dull clank barely audible, as if Jack were actually thinking about opening up.

Sam sensed the change in his attitude, and also put her drink down, leaning back to give Jack some space.

"When I was fourteen…one of my uncles went to jail…He did something…terrible to our family…something I don't think I can actually bring myself to talk about…He got life, but I always dreaded the day he'd finally get out…He died a few weeks ago and I feel like I'm actually at one with myself…I don't have this constant worry at the back on my mind…it's strange really…In a way I'm glad he's dead…but at the same time…I wish he'd suffered more…Isn't that terrible?"

"No sir…I don't know what he did but…was there any way you could ever have forgiven him?"

"Not a chance Carter…If I'd ever met him after his sentencing…I would probably have killed him."

"Then be glad he's gone, and don't dwell on it."

Jack nodded solemnly. "Yeah…I should…I think I came back up here to…I don't know…See if I could think back to the good times without thinking about…the other stuff."

"Have you been able to?"

"…More or less…Can we…get off this subject now?"

"Sure sir."

"I've got a pack of card…fancy playing poker?"

"What do we bet?"

"Hmm…strip poker…could be interesting at these temperatures!"


End file.
